Some people are like slinkies
by foxfire222
Summary: What to do when your powers go awayToddToad centric


"Some people are like slinkies: they don't really have a purpose, but they make you laugh when you push them down the stairs." laughed Duncan Mathews as he and his friends looked down the stairwell at the figure of a freshly pummeled Todd. Without even a second glance back the group of jocks/bullies walked away.

Todd moaned as he got to his hands and knees. His body hurt all over and his shirt was torn from getting caught on the handrail. Why did Duncan always have to be such a jerk to him? Todd knew it wasn't because he was a mutant because things like this used to happen before everyone knew about them. In fact, now that he thought about it, it wasn't just Duncan, it was everyone. The saddest part of this realization was the fact that it was usually his own so called friends that did these kinds of things to him. Todd's anger grew as he thought about all the terrible things in is life on his walk home.

Upon arriving home, if you could even call it that, Todd went straight to his room. When he had closed his bedroom door and turned around he yelled, "WHAT HAPPENED TO MY ROOM YO???"

The room was in the worst state he had ever seen it in. His bed lay splintered and busted open on the floor. His dresser where he kept all this cloths was broken in half. And in the middle of the floor lay Todd's most treasured possession, his wallet. It was ripped open and empty.

His door suddenly opened and Pietro stood in the doorway smirking, "What's wrong wart breath? Don't you like how I redecorated your room?"

At that point Todd's anger reached its peak and then, pain. He was suddenly in terrible pain, writhing on the floor. His world was blurring in and out of focus. He registered voices but could not tell who they were or what they were saying. Then everything went black.

Todd sat up straight in bed, his eyes wide in fear, drenched in a cold sweat. Had that all been a dream. It was so real. He looked around his room…wait. This wasn't his room. This was Lance's room. What was he doing in here? Todd got out of the bed and down the hall into the bathroom. Maybe a glass of water and then back to bed. He must have started sleep walking. Then Todd looked in the mirror.

The entire house jumped in surprise as an ear splitting scream suddenly resonated throughout the house from the upstairs bathroom. Being the fastest Pietro was the first on the scene.

He was met with the site of Todd curled in the corner, back to him. He was quietly mumbling over and over, "This isn't happening, this isn't real. I'm going to wake up and this will all have been a dream."

Pietro slowly approached Todd as Lance and Wanda appeared at the doorway, Fred was visiting family upstate, "Toad, what happened?"

Todd let out a muffled sob and said, "You cant call me that anymore."

"Why?"

Todd turned and the others gasped. Todd's skin was a peach color, much like Wanda's. His teeth were normal and white. His hair, which had been covered by his hands, was no longer a mud brown but a light brown with a reddish tinge. And his eyes were no longer an odd yellow color, but a normal shade of emerald green. He looked like a, human.

The X-men where in the middle of a training session out back when the perimeter alarms went off. They all ran to the front lawn to be met with a strange site. It was a boy they had never seen before. But even though nobody knew who he was he looked oddly familiar. He had a backpack on his back and a duffle bag in his hand. He also looked like he had been crying.

Logan held up a hand to steady the students and walked forward and asked, "Who are you kid? How did you find us and what do you want?"

The boy didn't speak, just stared up at Logan with sad eyes still overflowing with tears. Without a word and before anyone could react the boy lunged at Logan and latched onto him in a sort of pleading hug. Logan was stunned for a moment and then recognized the symptoms of the boy as abandonment shock. Being a school for mutants they got a lot of orphans that had been thrown out for what they were and acted just like this, because they had thought they had had a home where people would always accept them.

"Elf, go tell Storm, Hank, and the Prof. that I'll meet them down in the medical chamber. As for the rest of you, finish your morning exercises and run the course. The elf will join you when he gets back." Logan said. Then without another word Logan put his hand around the boy's shoulder and led the sobbing teenager into the mansion.

Once Logan and the boy entered the medical bay the boy pushed Logan away. When Logan tried to approach him the boy held up his hands and shook his head furiously while backing away, "What's wrong kid, you ok?"

These last words seemed to somehow penetrate the shocked boy's head and his eyes immediately became furious and wild with a sudden anger. Then, in a familiar voice, the boy yelled, "WHAT'S WRONG? WHAT'S WRONG? I'LL TELL YOU WHAT'S WRONG. EVERYTHINGS WRONG. MY LIFE STUCKS, EVERYONE USES ME AS A PUNCHING BAG, AND TO TOP IT ALL OFF I LOST MY POWERS AND MY SO CALLED FRIENDS ABBANDONED ME FOR IT YO." the now revealed Todd's eyes burst out in a fresh flood of tears as he screamed. His fists clinched and held slightly out to his sides. His back slightly hunched as he ranted. His eyes shut and his head turned to the side as his anger became depression. He began shaking his head again and said softly, "I'm useless now. I'm no good to anyone anymore, not like I ever really was in the first place. I MIGHT AS WELL JUST DIE AND SAVE THE WORLD THE TROUBLE OF KILLING ME."

Before Logan could move Todd burst threw the medical bay doors and down the hall.

The Professor and Hank had just reached the elevator when it burst open and Todd ran out in a fit of tears. Beast was quick enough on the draw to grab him and hold him tight. Todd squirmed and kicked but his mutated strength was gone and all he could do was yell, "LEAVE ME ALONE. LET ME GO, PLEASE."

Logan burst from the second elevator and said, "Don't you dare let him go Hank. I think he's having suicidal thoughts. It's Toad and he says he lost his powers."

Down in the medical bay Todd had been strapped down to a table to prevent him from hurting anyone and himself. His struggles had died down and he had taken to just staring off into endless space.

Hank came over to Todd with a smile on his face, "Todd, I have some good news for you about your condition." Todd made no response, "It appears as if your powers are evolving, causing your body to temporarily loose it's mutation. It should be over in a few days and you'll be back to normal."

"What's the point? I'm no good to anyone and I never will be. Why should I even bother going back now that I know they aren't really my friends? And I cant stay here because everyone hates me. Just leave me alone to starve to death or something." After that Todd no longer responded to any questions so they just left him strapped to the table to keep him from hurting himself while they left to figure out a solution

Later that night, while Todd lay sleeping on the medical table, someone entered the medical bay and shook him awake. Todd looked up to see one of the new X-men. What was his name again? Was it Ray?

Ray began to un-strap Todd. While doing this he whispered, "Just stay quiet and let me explain. I overheard the teachers talking about what you said. Then I remembered that the others said you were good at sneaking around and a good pick-pocket. That's when I realized I know a group of mutants that you can be useful to."

Ray led Todd threw a sewer drain as he lit the way with sparks from his hand. He suddenly stopped and held Todd back as he called into the darkness, "Come on out guys. It's just me, Ray. I brought someone who needs your help."

From the surrounding darkness came several figures plagued by physical mutations. A women with an eye patch stepped forward and said, "Ray, you fool, he is not like us. He's a human, Calsifer (I cant remember the name of the mutant that can sense other mutant powers)says that he sensed to powers besides yours."

"He is a mutant." Ray defended, "His powers are just evolving and it's causing him to loose his powers for a few days. Just ask Evan, he'll know who he is."

So the sewer mutants, who called themselves Morlocks, led them back to their home base of sorts. Once they arrived Evan approached and after looking Todd over he said, "He does look familiar but I just cant place it."

Ray suddenly slammed his foot down on Todd's as hard as he could and Todd let out a scream of, "You hole of and X-geek. What did you do that for yo?"

Evan's eyes widened, "Toad, is that you? What happened to you?"

"My powers are evolving and I'll be back to normal in a few days."

Ray stepped forward, "You remember how you said that you didn't have enough people with the right skills to get food. Well everyone says that Toad is one of the best thieves even though he's not the best fighter. No offence meant Toad." said Ray apologetically

"None taken, I know I suck." said Todd with a shrug

"So I figured," continued Ray, "he could help you out in that department."

"Give me one good reason why Ray" Said Evan

Ray took Evan aside and said, "The x-men don't trust him and will most likely make his life harder and the Brotherhood kicked him out so he cant trust them ever again. I heard Logan say he was having thoughts about how the world would be better if he were dead so I thought that if he joined you guys he could help you and finally find his place. Besides, where else is he supposed to go?"

After some thought Evan agreed and Todd became a Morlock. True to the theory he returned to normal, well normal for him, two days later and spent a few years helping the Morlocks and stealing what was needed. After a while Evan and Todd became good friends and have been ever since. Once Evan learned to control his powers he returned to the surface to be with his family. Even though the Morlocks weren't happy about it they understood why he wished to go and he would often come back and visit. But before he left he put Todd in charge and over the next ten years the underground society thrived and grew until there world was no longer just a bunch of pipes but a bunch of buildings just big enough for three each. It was thanks to Todd thinking of combining powers to build shelters. To this day Todd is the leader of the Morlocks and also a respected honorary member of the X-men.


End file.
